Feed ratchet for planers



A. w. PARKES FEED RATCHET FOR PLANERS Filed Feb. 2, 192

ill

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT W. PARKES, OF DUNDAS, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO NILES-BE1VIENT-POND COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FEED RATCHET FOR PLANERS.

Application filed February 2, 1921.

1 '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. PARKns, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Dundas, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed Ratchets for Planers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tool feeding mechanisms and particularly to an improved ratchet mechanism for operating a tool feed screw in one direction or the other. In planers, shapers and like machines, there is usually provided a ratchet feed mechanism comprising a two-way pawl adapted to feed the tool in either direction. The pawl is ordinarily provided with a small knob at its axis for shifting the pawl to either driving position or to a neutral position. This small pawl shifting means is very inconvenient to operate at times, as for instance when the machine is in operation. The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved tool feeding ratchet mechanism of this type wherein is provided an improved pawl shifting means arranged in a most convenient operating position thereon and operative at any time to shift the pawl in a most convenient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved tool feeding mechanism comprising a hand operated feed controlling means coaxial with the screw driving means, preferably coaxial with the feed screw, and adapted to control a feed pawl to feed the screw in a direction corresponding to the direction of angular movement of the said means.

Other and more specific objects of the invention will appear from the following description wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a planer cross rail showing the tool head mounted thereon and means for feeding the head.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the improved ratchet mechanism, taken on. the line 3--3 of Figs. 1 and 4:.

Fig. 4: is a cross section thereof, taken on the line 4-t of Fig. 3.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, 1 indicates one of the uprights of a planer and 2 the cross rail mounted thereon. A tool head 3 is adapted to be fed and traversed along the rail by means of one of Serial No. 441,835.

the screw shafts 4. A vertical tool feeding and traversing shaft is indicated at 5 and is operatively connected through the gearing illustrated and a feed box 6 to the screw shafts. This feed box and driving connection to the screws is fully described and illustrated in a copending application to A. TV. Parkes and A. W. Draeseke, Serial No. 441,8445, filed February 2, 1921. Since such mechanism is within itself no part of the present invention, further description thereof will be omitted herein.

Briefly the operation of the above mechanism is as follows: During the cutting op eration, the shaft 5 is given a definite oscillatory movement alternately in opposite directions in synchronism with the table reciprocation. A desired definite amount of this movement is transmitted to the screw shafts a through the bevel gears 7, shaft 8, feed box 6, gears 9, 10 and 11 to one of the screw shaft gears 12 in mesh with the other two gears 12. It will therefore be seen that as the planer table is reciprocated, the gears 12 are each given a definite oscillatory movement alternately in opposite directions. The present invention which comprises the improved ratchet mechanism through which this movement in either direction is transmitted to any of the screw shafts will now be described.

The improved ratchet mechanism comprises broadly a driven member, illustrated. as an annular ring-shaped bushing 13, operatively connected to the screw and illustrated in the drawing as secured directly to the screw by means of a key 14., and a driving member, illustrated as the gear 12. The driving member is mounted adjacent the driven member and is illustrated as mounted loosely on the screw and driven member. A two-way pawl 15 is mounted in one of these members and is illustrated as mounted on a pivot 16 in the driven member. The pawl comprises two oppositely disposed driving arms 17 adapted to engage teeth 18 on the inner periphery of the gear 12 and a centrally disposed projection 19 engaging between a pair of shoulders 20 on a cover member 21 surrounding the driven member. The cover 21 projects forwardly of the driven member about the screw and is provided with a hand operating means 22 coaxial with the driving member and screw. The means 22 is preferably knurled to provide a hand grip and a screw 23 therein has a projection 24 engaging in a circumferential groove 25 in the screw whereby the said means and cover. are held in place on the screw. A bore 26 extends through the screw and driven member and mounted in this bore are a plunger 27 engaging the pawl, a latch 28 adapted to engage in one of three notches 29, 29 and 29 in the cover 21, and a spring 30 between the plunger and the latch. As illustrated in .Fig. 3, itwill be noted that the member 13 is held against longitudinal movement on the shaft between the cover 21 and a collar 31, the collar being secured to the screw by means of a cross pin 32.

In operation each gear 12, as heretofore stated, is adapted to be oscillated in opposite directions through the desired feeding distance. The bushing 13 and screw shaft l may be operated in either direction from the gear 12 or may remain stationary relative thereto, depending upon the position of the pawl 15. The position of the pawl depends upon the position of the cover member 21. lvhen the latch 28 is engaged in the notch 29, the pawl is in a neutral position with neither arm 17 engaging the driving teeth 18. lVhen the latch is engaged in notch 29 the screw will be driven to the right and when in the notch 29 the screw will be driven to the left (Fig. 4). The position of the pawl is controlled entirely from the hand operated means 22 and it should be noted that in the controlling operation, the said means is turned in the direction in which it is desired to feed the screw shaft. The notches 29, 29 and 29 secure the cover 21 from movement relative to the driven member 13 and serve to holdthe pawl in the desired position. It will be observed that by placing the controlling means 22 coaxially of the driven member and screw, the same has only a rotary motion on its own axis and may be easily gripped and operated by the hand at all times, even when the machine is in operation. When the pawl is being fed in either direction, a grip of the hand on the member 22 to hold the same from movement with the pawl will automatically change the position oi the pawl to teed in the opposite direction.

hat I claim is:

1. In a tool feed mechanism, the combination of a feed screw, a driven member mounted non-rotatably on the screw, a driving member comprising a gear mounted loosely on the screw adjacent the driven member, a two-way pawl mounted in the driven member and adapted to engage teeth on the other member for driving the driven member in either direction, means comprising a cover fitting over the driven member for controlling the operation oi? the pawl, the pawl having means engaging the cover whereby angular movement oi: the latter shifts the position of the pawl to operate the driven member in one direction or the other, a latch adapted to engage notches in the cover for holding the cover from angular movement relative to the driven memher, and a spring between the pawl and latch for normally holding the same in, their operative positions.

2. In a tool feed mechanism, the combination of a feed screw, a driven member mounted non-rotatably on the screw, a driving member comprising a gear mounted loosely on the screw adjacent the driven member, a twoway pawl mounted in the driven member and adapted to eng g'c teeth on the other member for driving the driven member in either direction, means comprising a cover fitting over the driven member for controlling the ope ation of the pawl, the pawl having means engaging the cover whereby angular movement oi" the latter shifts the position of the pawl to operate the driven member in one direction or the other. the screw and driven member having a bore extending therethrough, a plunger mounted in one end of the bore and engaging the pawl for holding the same in either driving position, a latch mounted in the other end of the bore and adapted to engage notches in the cover for holding the cover from angular movement relative to the driven member. and a spring mounted in the bore between the plunger and latch for normally holding the plunger, latch and pawl in their opcra tive positions.

In testimony whereo't'. hereto allix my signature. 

